KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — The world must not defeat terrorism solely through hard power policies, soft power applications in the form of good governance, practical diplomacy and civil participation, said Minister of Defence Mohamad Sabu.
In a statement here, he said these aspects must complement military actions in order to eliminate the root causes of terrorist appeal: injustice, unfairness and inequality.
“We must win hearts and minds, not just gun fights. Although today’s terrorists do not differ significantly in terms of violent expressions and combative nature, their intentions and objectives have changed,” he said during the 2nd plenary address titled ‘Global Terrorism: Threats and Countermeasures’ at the 8th Xiangshan Forum held at Beijing International Convention Centre, today.
He said Malaysia has been actively engaged in multilateral platforms to foster an understanding of a common strategy in combatting terrorism.
Mohamad said today’s international system had reverted to its pre-9/11 ways which were devolving to interstate competition and regional conflicts rather than being focused on how to combat terrorism together.
He said the trans-border nature of terror, enabled by social media and the internet, made it much easier for terror groups to recruit members, gather support and sympathy, as well as accumulate funds from anywhere in the world.
The forum held in Beijing, China was hosted by the Chinese Association for Military Science and the China Institute of International Strategic Studies. — Bernama
